Game thread: New York Knicks vs Toronto Raptors 7:30 1/24/2020 [Game #46]

In losing to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, the New York Knicks took solace in making a rematch more competitive than the first meeting with one of the NBA's best teams. New York will look to do more or better Friday, when they continue a three-game homestand by hosting the Toronto Raptors.

Both teams were off Thursday after playing Wednesday. The Knicks fell to the visiting Lakers 100-92, and the host Raptors beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-95.

The Knicks, who have the NBA's third-worst record, held their last lead Wednesday early in the third quarter but never allowed the Western Conference-leading Lakers to run away. New York, which trailed by as many as 13 points, closed within six points in the final minute.

It was a far cry from 15 days earlier, when the Lakers cruised to a 117-87 win over the Knicks in Los Angeles.

"I think we went in and played good basketball," Knicks interim head coach Mike Miller said Wednesday after New York fell to 8-15 under his tutelage. "We are not trying to play close games or anything like that, but we took a shot and came up a few points short."

The Knicks fell far shorter than that against the Raptors on Nov. 27, when the defending NBA champions earned a 126-98 victory in Canada. The challenge isn't likely to lessen Friday against a Toronto squad that has survived a flurry of injuries and appears to be rounding into form during a five-game winning streak.

On Wednesday, the Raptors had six players score between 16 and 22 points. Among that group were stalwarts Fred VanVleet (22 points), Pascal Siakam (18 points), Marc Gasol (17 points), Kyle Lowry (16 points) and Serge Ibaka (16 points), each of whom have missed at least 10 games this season due to injury.

"I think it's a quirky thing that I have never seen before," Nurse said of the Raptors' uncommonly balanced scoring. "But it also tells you that we're sending the ball to the open player. We're not really going through the same guys. We're moving it. We're just finding the right reads, I think, a lot. And everybody's getting their cracks at it."

Unfortunately for the Raptors, their run of good health didn't last long Wednesday. Guard Patrick McCaw took a blow to the face in the second quarter and left as blood gushed from his nose. He was diagnosed with a broken nose, and his availability for Friday was uncertain.

The Knicks are likely to be without rookie small forward RJ Barrett, who missed his third straight game Wednesday due to a right ankle injury. Barrett is expected to be re-evaluated Friday.

The Friday game is the second of four scheduled matchups between the Atlantic Division rivals. The Knicks are slated to host the Raptors again on March 25 before Toronto hosts New York in its regular-season home finale on April 12.

--Field Level Media

Thanks for the Game-Thread Rady .... The Knicks will have to put a lock on Raptors pass-first play-making combo-guard VanVleet ..

Knicks playing bully-ball in the first quarter to grab a 26-13 lead over the Raptors .. 2 min left in 1st qtr.

Playing Randle the entire 1st qtr. was STUPID Miller !!!
End of First Quarter .. Knicks 28 - Raptors 20

Looks like a pretty good game. We've been hanging with the Lakers and Raps these last 2. Miller has got a competitive streak and a little fire, when Payton made that TO on the last play in the half, I read his lips saying fxxk me. Lol

Half-Time .. Knicks 53 - Raptors 56
Giving Randle-Handle 16 minute, and Gibson 6 minute in the first half of the Game was STUPID Miller !!!
The more I watch Randle-Handle performance the more I say Randle is a 24 minute per game player.
Randle performance does not compliment any of his teammates performance.
Gibson plays winning B.Ball compared to Randle-Handle sloppy-passing turn-over bad FT shooting performance.

When RJ comes back Miller has tough decision with playing time for Dotson. Some guys need regular minutes, Dotson is one of those guys.

Pascal making Randle look like the worst defensive PF in the league SMH

End of the 3rd quarter .. Knicks 79 - Raptors 85

Wow! Randle put back put us in position, Morris 2 FT tied the score at 103 .. 4 min remain

The Raptors defense tighten up tremendously 108 -105 Raps

Whew! Randle-Handle almost commit turnover, Payton hits shot, then cause turnover

Pascal Siakim took the game to the next level in the final 2 min 115 - 109 Raps .. 10 second left

Team battled but just too many mistakes down the stretch....

This is what happened in final 90 seconds:

Randle and EP mess it up and result is a shot clock violation....

TOR strips Randle....

Dotson with arguably the ugliest defense on a P&R in NBA history gives Siakum free lane to basket..... (a shame too bc DD had a solid night shooting).

Randle has ball taken from him... again.

Randle is just awful.... defense runs to double him bc he is a turnover machine.

Just another loss... another night kids do little.... I?m sure we?ll hear all about how we almost won game... that?s the only thing to sell... ?hey, at least we aren?t getting blown out.?

Lowry catches Randle-Handle's pass to give Randle his 4th turnover in the game

10 points combined from MRob, Knox, Frank, Trier and DSJ. (Trier and DSJ DNP-CD).

No use watching until after trade deadline. We in full showcase the vet mode.

Just not sure why Randle is in game at end... try Knox or MRob or anything else but JR.

mafra said:

10 points combined from MRob, Knox, Frank, Trier and DSJ. (Trier and DSJ DNP-CD).

No use watching until after trade deadline. We in full showcase the vet mode.

Just not sure why Randle is in game at end... try Knox or MRob or anything else but JR.

Click to expand...

Dotson's finally got the green-light to shoot 10 fg shots per game ..
Which puts young Dotson on the Knick FO trade-table before the deadline.
Is this the Knicks FO trade-table of players ???
Dotson 27 min
Portis 27 min
Payton 35 min
Randle-Handle 35 min
Morris 37 min

I guess Gibson's 12 min of playing-time tonight takes him off the FO trade-table
Taj Gibson happen to be the best experience CLOSER player (forward) on the Knicks roster.
I haven't forgot the Bulls winning front-court crunchtime lineup of Noah Deng Taj ..
Or the Timberwolves crunchtime lineup of KAT Taj Butler

Why Fizdale and Miller dont take Randle out the game the final 7 minutes of each Knick game this season?
Great question to ask the Knicks FO?
So far the leadership of Randle-Handle crunch-time performance has the Knicks record at 12-34 .. A .261 3rd worst NBA team.

Kiyaman said:

Lowry catches Randle-Handle's pass to give Randle his 4th turnover in the game

Click to expand...

mafra said:

10 points combined from MRob, Knox, Frank, Trier and DSJ. (Trier and DSJ DNP-CD).

No use watching until after trade deadline. We in full showcase the vet mode.

Just not sure why Randle is in game at end... try Knox or MRob or anything else but JR.

Click to expand...

I thought Randle was good. He put up a double double along with 3 blocks and one steal. He turned the ball over 3 times not 4 but other guys had 3 TOs. The starting 5 all had positive +/- so they were competitive with the Raps starters, our 2nd unit weren't posting -11 or worse +/-. The lack of development among the young guys Knox, Nits, MRob, Trier, DSJ is striking, good luck if the Knicks are relying on those guys to be the foundation of our future.

Not to rag on Randle.... but he missed a FT, had about 3 turnovers.... all in final few minutes. He has zero floor awareness with the ball in his hands.... it?s amazing.

He anticipates well off-ball and has soft hands catching a pass in traffic.... but he is far too careless with the ball in his hands.

He did have one nice bucket (following his own miss)....

He?s a terrific guy to have as a bench piece on a winning team.

Siakum and Vanfleet entered league at 22.... took them 3 seasons to become budding all-Star caliber players....

Why?

Referring to his own young players, including three main cogs who spent time in the G League, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said, ?I?m a firm believer that they need to be playing. They?ve got to play. How do you get any better if you?re not playing?

?I?m a big, big believer that if they?re not getting minutes with the big club that they?ve got to go down and play as many minutes as they can down there.?

Yet, we have 19/20 year-olds withering on the vine. Give TOR our young guys and they?ll develop. Siakum and Vanfleet would prolly suck if they were here.